Things seem to be trending in the right direction for Bayern Munich’s slew of contracts that need to get done.
Alphonso Davies extended his contract this week and Jamal Musiala is expected to formalize his agreement this month, but what about Joshua Kimmich — the guy who might be the team’s most valuable player this season?
Well, Bayern Munich board member for sport Max Eberl gave his most recent update on the situation and it is interesting to say the least.
“Joshua Kimmich turns 30 on Saturday. He has been a Bayern player for almost a decade. Players are people with their own life plans and not robots. And when Joshua says: ‘Last summer, I couldn’t imagine extending my contract and now I’ve perhaps got it in my head to some extent and want to think about it’ – then that’s legitimate for me,” said Eberl (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
It has been rumored that Kimmich was unhappy with the club during the Thomas Tuchel regime, but to see Eberl lay out just how bitter Kimmich might have been was eye-opening. Regardless, the Bayern Munich negotiating team is working hard to convince Kimmich to stay, but also does not want him to feel rushed.
The lack of a deadline has become a point of debate for pundits and fans alike. For Eberl, there is no reason to rush the situation just yet.
“Of course we know that we can’t wait forever, but we want to give Joshua a bit of time and let his thoughts mature that Bayern Munich is the club where he wants to continue. That’s legitimate. I don’t want to have to persuade a player to sign a contract, I want him to do it with full conviction. For me, you can’t work according to the motto: ‘you have two days, take it or leave it’ — because then, if in doubt, he says: ‘OK, if you only give me two days, I can’t decide now, then I have to say no’,” said Eberl.
What if Kimmich really does want to leave? Even with the Tuchel-induced angst, it would be surprising to see the veteran leave the club.
Right now, it still feels like Kimmich is taking it slow to make Bayern Munich sweat (his prerogative given how he felt slighted and unsupported), but the acquisition of Tom Bischof carries a little more weight now. Bischof might not have just been a player to develop for the future, he could be someone to help fill the void of a starting role as early as next season.
Kimmich leaving would send shockwaves through the squad, but if he is ever going to leave, the time would be now — for his last big contract and as a free agent. Could it really happen?
We still say no, but are maybe a little less certain than we were at this point last week.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 4, Episode 30
Is is the calm before the storm? Bayern Munich has a ridiculous month ahead of it and the mettle of this squad will be test in a major way.
That is just one of the prominent storylines surrounding the club these days, so we will tackle quite a few of the biggest storylines on the next edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show. This is what we have on tap:
- Let’s take a look at the treacherous terrain that lies ahead of Bayern Munich this month.
- So…Harry Kane has a release clause. Maybe we should talk about that?
- Is Bayern Munich failing young players?
- A quick review of Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee.
Song of the Week: “Dead & Bloated” by Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots have been featured here a few times, but never “Dead & Bloated.”
If you went back to 1993 and you popped in the “Core” CD, this was the first track you heard — and if you weren’t hooked by then, there were a slew of others songs to convince you. For me, it was that first song that immediately drew me in
The album was actually released in the final quarter of 1992, but I did not hear it until the spring of 1993. Man…what a time. Pearl Jam and Nirvana were dominating grunge, but STP was there to add a hard rock element into the mix that fell in between those bands and the heavy metal that was prevalent at the time. Enjoy:
Entertainment Rundown
I have not jumped into the series on my (Cobra Kai, Landman) as of yet, but I did catch a documentary on Netflix…and it was wild. Let’s dive in…
Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee
Admittedly, I knew nothing about John McAfee aside of his name being on the anti-virus program, but this guy…he lived quite the life:
- You want to talk about a crazy story…this one has everything — a neurotic multi-millionaire with access to a wealth of information (maybe), who is living on the run (from the government? The authorities? The cartel? All of the above?), and who has embraced an outlaw lifestyle.
- McAfee’s troubles always seem to be in his life, but the alleged murder of of his neighbor is where things really went into a downward spiral. That led to a life a on the run that included stops in multiple countries and lifestyle that relied on heavily on a Warren Zevon cocktail (lawyers, guns, and money), plus a lot of alcohol and — allegedly — some foreign substances, too (bath salts!).
- While the story has a lot of insight from the two Vice journalists and the man charged with ghostwriting McAfee’s book, the tales they told about McAfee painted the picture of a mastermind, a genius, and a very trouble, paranoid soul.
- Marrying a prostitute typically is not a move that a stable person would make (not judging anyone, but a man worth that much money maybe should have been more guarded). The fact that she would be later be tasked to kill him (allegedly), made the match all that much more off the rails.
- McAfee — allegedly — died in jail, but the documentary left us one final treat — his ex-girlfriend saying he contacted her via phone after he was pronounced dead.
Is he dead? Probably. Is he alive? Most likely not. Was he bat(bleep) crazy…yes. While I normally do not engage in the misery porn of someone’s life unraveling, this was an absolutely insane story that was — somehow — documented as it happened.
Overall, it was an interesting watch, but also one that left a lot of unanswered questions. In the end, it was worth my time.
Rating: 8.00/10.00
Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show: Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen
Bayern Munich is in a prime position to continue its stranglehold on the first-place spot in the Bundesliga table against a very beatable Werder Bremen squad.
With another home game, the Bavarians will be hoping to keep its recent run of success going. Let’s talk about all of that and more on the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show. This is what we have on tap:
- A look at the recent form of each team and where they fall in the Bundesliga table.
- A look at the rosters and injuries for Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
Predictions
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich’s match-up with Werder Bremen is not going to be a cakewalk (though the Bavarians should be able to take advantage of having a better midfield and a depleted Werder Bremen backline).
This is a match where the superior talent and depth of Bayern munich should be on full display. Look for Harry Kane to take advantage of Werder Bremen’s center-backs early before things settle into a nice rhythm for another Bayern munich win.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-1 Werder Bremen
Other Bundesliga Predictions:
- Wolfsburg 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen
- Borussia Dortmund 2-1 VfB Stuttgart
- SC Freiburg 2-1 Heidenheim
- Mainz 05 2-1 FC Augsburg
- Hoffenheim 1-0 Union Berlin
- Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
- Holstein Kiel 2-1 VfL Bochum
- RB Leipzig 3-0 St. Pauli
Prediction Records
- Last Week Bundesliga: 5-4 (Through Matchday 20)
- Overall Bundesliga: 85-95
- UEFA Nations League: 81-66
- Champions League: 81-63 (Through Matchday 8)
- DFB-Pokal: 42-16 (Through part 1 of quarterfinals)
- Total: 289-240
- Perfect Picks: 45 (when the score and winner is predicted exactly)
